the house where the Collins's lived. Sarah, the Captain's wife
and Janet's former friend, was ill, it appeared, and in bed. This
was told him by the boy who opened the door. " Grandfather's
upstairs with my Grannie, Captain Joe," said the boy, "but
Auntie Susan is in the parlour and will give you a cup of tea.
Grandfather'!! be down directly, and glad to see you for certain/'

Joseph entered the house and wiped his feet on the mat He
remembered being brought to tea here as a lad, and playing with
the young Collins's. c. The boys were all grown up now, sailors like
himself, and the child who had let him in must be a son of one of
them. Susan he could recollect but vaguely. She was the eldest
daughter, three years older than his own brother Samuel, and had
not entered much into their games in the former days. She must
be thirty-five now. Strange how the years fled without your
reckoning them.

" Come on, do, Captain Joe," called a voice from the parlour,
" the kettle's on the boil and I dare say you'd like warmin' up
after this dirty weather. Terrible it's been now all the month, an'
father arrived home to find our poor invalid upstairs. Sit right
down, and put yourself at ease." So this was Susan. A kind,
motherly woman with patient hazel eyes, and quick capable hands
that moved swiftly about the tea table, laying the cups and
saucers.

" Why, you'm wet, I declare," she said, pointing to his stream-
ing boots. " Let's have 'em off right away, and put to dry in the
kitchen. Give me your coat as well. That's better, isn't it ?
Was there ever such foolish, careless creatures as men ? "

He laughed up at her, and his eyes followed her as she moved
about the room, her trim, rather plump figure, the twist of her
humorous mouth, and the brown hair that curled beneath her
white cap. He stretched his feet to the fire, and drank his tea.
He felt well, comfortable, and he liked this woman who showed no
sign of embarrassment at the rough sailor in his shirt-sleeves,
with his stockinged feet stuck in the fender.

She was no beauty, neither was she young, but there was some-
thing appealing about her for all that, and her voice was soft and
low. He was content to be there in this house, and see her bend
over the fire, and laugh at some remark of his, and then brush her
hair away from her brow with an impatient gesture.

It reminded him of someone—something------. No, he didn't

remember* Must have been an idle fancy.

After a while Captain Collins came down, and two of the sons
came back from their work in Plyn, so the parlour was filled.
When at length Joseph rose to go Susan Collins went with him to

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